Top Movies About Shot-down Pilots

The war movie genre is full of interesting sub-genres and one that’s endured for decades are films about shot-down pilots evading captivity and escaping to fight another day. In this article (and in no particular order) we’ll take a look at some of the best movies about downed-pilots!

Behind Enemy Lines

Lets start with the most recent entry on our list 2001’s ‘Behind Enemy Lines’, the film represents a rare action role for downed-aviator Owen Wilson and a rare depiction of the Bosnian War. With a solid budget, good direction, engaging performances from Wilson and Gene Hackman (playing the Admiral coordinating his rescue), ‘Behind Enemy Lines’ follows the classic shot-down pilot sub-genre structure. It also spawned an unlikely series of three direct-to-video spiritual sequels – none of which involve shot-down pilots!

Bat*21

Speaking of Gene Hackman, we can’t talk about shot-down pilot movies without mentioning ‘Bat*21’. With powerhouse performances from Hackman and Danny Glover (as the pilot of the titular Bat*21). It follows Hackman on the ground as a electronic warfare specialist whose B-52 was shot-down by North Vietnamese missiles. Throughout the film Glover’s Cessna O-2 Skymaster maintains communications with Hackman and guides him to a rescue site. It’s a classic of the sub-genre. Check out our episode about’Bat*21′ here.

The Bridges at Toko-Ri

1954’s ‘The Bridges at Toko-Ri’ is our first Korean War movie, centred on William Holden’s character a US Naval Reserve pilot called back to active duty to fly F9F Panthers. The film highlights the important work of Sikorsky H-5 rescue helicopter crews, portrayed by Mickey Rooney and Earl Holliman. These helicopters picked up downed airmen and the film gives a fascinating look at early military helicopter use. Following a dangerous but successful attack on the eponymous bridges Holden’s jet is shot down and Rooney and Holliman swoop in to again rescue him. Unlike the other films on this list they’re unsuccessful, the helicopter is destroyed and Rooney and Holden are left in a muddy stream fighting off waves of Communist attackers until they’re overwhelmed a killed. A stark and memorable ending with a striking left turn for a major Hollywood war film made just after the war’s end. It won the Oscar for Best Special Effects in 1956.

One of Our Aircraft Is Missing

Only a handful of British War movies have focused on shot-down aviators and none of them follow the classic structure of evasion until eventual rescue by friendly aviation units. One that comes close, and also happens to be an utter classic, is ‘One of Our Aircraft Is Missing’, directed by legendary director/producer-team Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger the 1942 film follows the crew of an RAF Wellington bomber who are shot down and have to evade capture in occupied Europe with the help of Dutch locals. The film sees the crew escape to the coast and take shelter in a German rescue buoy eventually British boats arrive to rescue them. ‘One of Our Aircraft Is Missing’ is a classic piece of British wartime cinema with clear propaganda value but it’s still extremely watchable today.

The Hunters

Set during the Korean War, 1958’s ‘The Hunters’ stars Robert Mitchum, Robert Wagner and Lee Philips as downed F-86 Sabre pilots. The film follows the men as their mission goes wrong and they’re forced to bail out and crash-land. They evade the Communist North Koreans and reach the safety of UN lines. The film has a more optimistic outcome than ‘The Bridges at Toko-Ri’ and leans heavily on the American-cinemagoer of the day’s fascination with the jet age. As ever Mitchum is on form as a return-to-duty WW2 veteran keen to fly the new jets!

Flight of the Intruder

Just a couple of years after appearing in as the rescuer, Danny Glover returned the Vietnam War in 1991’s ‘Flight of the Intruder’, this time as the shot-down A6 Intruder pilot. Directed by the legendary John Milius and starring Glover, Willem Dafoe, and Brad Johnson the film follows an A6 squadron on a mission to attack North Vietnamese surface to air missile sites when Johnson and Glover’s Intruder is downed. Dafoe’s mortally wounded character calls in an airstrike on his location as Johnson and Glover escape on a helicopter.

Black Hawk Down

Ridley Scott’s ‘Black Hawk Down’ is widely regarded as one of the best modern war films. It tells the true story of a disasterous operation in Mogidishu that saw numerous US helicopters shot down over the dense and chaotic city. While some of the helicopter crews are rescued successfully others are not and the film takes an arresting approach telling the story of the men who took part in the operation. While definitely not an example of the classic structure of the shot-down aviator sub-genre it simply couldn’t be absent from the list. Full of incredible cinematography, strong performances and amazing practical effects and battle sequences. Nominated for four Oscars, it won two. Check out our episode about ‘Black Hawk Down’ here.